Monkey-wrench.



No. 862.509. PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907. S. V. REHART.

MONKEY WRENCH. urmoumn FILED ran. as, 1901.

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UNITED STATES SOLOMON V. REHART, OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA.

MONKEY-WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, 1907.

Application filed February 26, 1907. Serial No. 359,431.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SoLoMoN V. REI-IART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Glendale, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Monkey- Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

' The present invention relates to certain improvements in that class of wrenches known commercially as automatic ratchet monkey wrenches, or those wherein the slide carrying the movable jaw of the wrench is held in place or adjustment by a pawl engaging the rack portion of the body or shank of the wrench. Ordinarily in this type of wrench, the longitudinally movable slide is operated to release the pawl carried thereby by a tilting movement, a certain amount of vertical.

play being permitted the movable slide for this purpose. The main defect in this class of wrenches resides in the fact that the longitudinally movable slide is only held locked to the body or shank portion of the wrench against movement in one direction. The result is that in the handling of the wrench displacement of the adjustment given the jaws takes place, necessitating readjustment of the wrench jaws when the tool is again desired for use in connection with the same work.

The object of the present invention is to provide against the delays occasioned by such repeated adjustment of the wrench, which is accomplished by so arranging the actuating mechanism for the longitudinally movable slide as to hold the same after adjustment locked against movement in either direction until the lock mechanism is released by the operator.

To comprehend the invention reference should be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein Figure l is a side view of the wrench, the upper portion of the longitudinally movable slide being partly broken away to illustrate the position of the hinged lock pawl; Fig. 2 is a side view of the pawl and the lock lever removed from the slide of the wrench; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the lock lever which actuates the pawl to move the same into and out of locked engagement with the rack portion of the body or shank of the wrench. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the pawl which engages the rack portion of the body or shank of the wrench.

In the drawings the numeral 1 is used to designate the body or shank of the wrench, 2 the fixed jaw formed therewith, and 3 the slide longitudinally movably mounted on the said body or shank l. The slide 3 carries a jaw 4, which jaw co-acts with the fixed jaw 2 of the wrench.

On the under face of the body or shank portion 2 of the wrench is formed the rack 5, which is engaged by the teeth 6 on the under face of the free end portion of the pawl 7. The pawl 7 is hinged between the walls of the slide 3 by means of the transverse pin 9. The pawl j 7 is moved into and out of locked engagement with the rack portion of the body or shank 1 by means of the lock lever 10, which lever is fulcrumed within the slide 3 by means of the transverse pin 11. Thislever is normally held outward by the pressure of the spring 12, which is interposed between the outer end portion of the pawl 7 and the under face of the lock lever 10. The tension of this spring is suflicient to maintain the pawl 7 in locked engagement with the rack portion of the body or shank portion 1 of the wrench.

The lock lever 10 is formed with an enlarged eccentric head 13, the lower portion of which is bifurcated so as to straddle the pawl 7, and such portion of the lock lever is connected or held to the said pawl 7 by means of the transverse pin 14. The said transverse pin 14 passes through and works Within a longitudinally extending slot 15 formed in the free or outer end portion of the pawl 7. The free portion of the spring held lock lever 10 projects slightly above the longitudinally movable slide 3, so as to be within convenient reach of the finger of the operator of the wrench.

To release the hinged pawl from locked engagement with the rack portion of the body or shank 1 of the wrench, the outer portion of the lock lever 10 is depressed, which throws the eccentric head portion thereof upwardly so as to raise the outer portion of the pawl 7 to move the teeth thereof out of engagement with the rack portion of the said body or shank 1.. The slide 3 is then free to be moved longitudinally in either direction so as to adjust the position of the wrench jaws 2-4. After the said jaws have been properly adjusted, the lock lever 10 is released, and the same forced outwardly by the pressure of the compressed spring 12. As the released lock lever is moved in such direction, its eccentric head 13 is thrown downwardly, carrying therewith the pawl 7 to place the teeth thereof in locked engagement with the rack portion of the body or shank l. The pawl will be held in such locked engagement and the slide 3 held against movement in either direction until released by the operator through the medium of the lock lever. By this manner of controlling the pawl 7, the wrench jaws are positively held in adjusted position, until the said lock lever is depressed, to release the 011- gaging pawl 7. Accidental displacement of the adjustment given to the wrench jaws is thus provided against, which is a feature of importance in the handling of a wrench of the described character, as the dclays occasioned by having to. repeatedly adjust the wrench while working in difficult places is obviated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is 1. In a wrench for the described purpose, the combination of a shank provided with a fixed jaw, a rack on one face of the shank, a slide mounted for longitudinal movement on said shank, a wrench jaw carried by said slide, a pawl hinged to the slide for engagement with the rack and provided with a recessed portion having a slot extending therethroug-h, a lock lever pivoted to the slide and provided with an eccentric head bifurcated to straddle the recessed portion of the pawl and a pin passing through the slot in the recessed portion of the pawl and through the eccentric head of the lock lever to connect the pawl and lock lever.

2. In a wrench for the described purpose, the combination of a shank provided with a fixed jaw, a rack on one face of the shank, a slide mounted for longitudinal movement on said shank. a wrench jaw carried by said slide,

a pawl hinged to the slide for engagement with the rack and provided with a recessed portion having a slot extend ing therethrough, a lock lever pivoted to the slide and provided with an eccentric head bifucated to straddle the re-' cessed portion of the pawl and a pin passing through the slot in the recessed portion of the pawl and through the eccentric head of the lock lever to connect the pawl and lock lever and a spring interposed between and bearing against one end of the lock lever and pawl.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SOLOMON V. REHART.

Witnesses N. A. ACKER, FRANK II. AYERS. 

